


Hunk

by redrioting



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A character study of sorts, Family Feels, Gen, Hunk (Voltron) Has Two Moms, Hunk centric, Panic Attacks, Time Skips, and a dad, hunk through the ages
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-30 02:40:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14487015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redrioting/pseuds/redrioting
Summary: When he's four, Tsuyoshi nearly builds a spaceship out of uncooked pasta and mini marshmallows





	Hunk

**Author's Note:**

> hey hey!! this was my piece for the hunk appreciation zine and unfortunately, im not super sure what's up w it, but its been months so ive given up and posting. i checked a couple different sources for translations of Samoan words but hmu if any re incorrect and i'll fix it asap !!
> 
> GLOSSARY FOR SAMOAN WORDS/PHRASES  
> loʻu kusi itiiti | My little goose/geese  
> Ou te alofa 'oe | I love you  
> Tine | mother  
> Ou te misia ia te oe | i miss you

When he’s four, Tsuyoshi nearly builds a spaceship out of uncooked pasta and mini marshmallows. It ends up collapsing nearly twice before he runs to the kitchen, waving at one of his moms on his way there before heating up several bars of chocolate to help support his spaceship.

 

He’s so focused on his task, counting down alongside the microwave’s beeps, that he doesn’t realise his mom, Natia, followed him in. A toothy grin lighting up her face when Tsuyoshi looks up, matching soft brown eyes glowing and even darker hair that’s tied up with several ribbons from Natia’s latest side projects.

“Hey _ loʻu kusi itiiti _ , what adventures are you planning today?” she asks, crouching down and poking Hunk’s cheek.

He presses a finger to his lips and shakes his head, little curls flying. “It’s a mission, tine, but it’s a secret one!”

Natia leans in closer and taps her son’s chin, heart warming when he giggles and holds onto her hand, grinning so wide his cheeks puff up and Tsuyoshi resembles one of their pet hamsters; Nugget. She hums and glances around,  Tsuyoshi copies her movements, eyes narrowing suspiciously to make sure his actions are hidden from his other mom and dad.

“Is it a Code Yellow mission, ‘Yoshi?” 

He nods at that, furrowing his brows dramatically. Natia giggles and sits back. “We’re gonna need some official Code Yellow mission outfits, aren’t we?” 

Tsuyoshi nods again, eyes shining and grin barely being restrained as he bounces on the balls of his feet. Natia ruffles Tsuyoshi’s hair, using her thumb to smooth out the soft, pale outlines from a scar he’s had since he was two; after slipping on the edge of the carpet and having the plastic cup in his hand cut into the skin at his forehead. It left a half-crescent shape - ever since, his dad and mama have covered the house in moon-esque decor. 

His tina pulls back and moves her hands behind her head, untying one of the many colourful ribbons that were wrapped around pieces of her hair, Tsuyoshi watches her all the while, giggling loudly when she wraps the ribbon around his head, covering the small scar after she kisses it.

“There, now we’re ready for our Top Secret Mission.”

  
  


Five months after that, Tsuyoshi comes to meet one of his grandfathers for the first time; seeing a face matching his father’s, except, withered with age and marred with small scars, eyes gray and tired but full of adoration as he hugged his son and was introduced to Tsuyoshi. Hudson Garrett, a spacepilot who’s been researching in space for nearly a decade, spoke about his experience surrounded by nothing but cosmos, stars and the planets around him. He’d humoured all of Tsuyoshi’s questions, showed him several meteorite samples he’d taken while out in space and promised to mold it into a bracelet for his only grandson. 

His grandpa ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead, right on the small crescent scar. “Looks like the planet I was on,” Hudson had commented, glancing at the raised mark. “Forever a little piece of Sohadra on my own grandson, huh?” 

Tsuyoshi nodded excitedly, asking for more stories of space, wanting to hear as many adventures as he could before Hudson leaves, all the while ignoring the solemn look that fell onto Hudson’s face when he turned around to retrieve his jacket. 

They continue to talk about memories for several hours, only stopping when Tsuyoshi had to help his mama with something. Before Hudson leaves, Tsuyoshi points to the back of his jacket, asking why the name on it wasn’t his own. Hudson chuckled and kissed Tsuyoshi’s forehead. 

“Back on Sohadra, the inhabitants couldn’t say my name in their native tongue,” he starts, thumbing at the material of his jacket, his given nickname stitched to the back with bright orange thread. “So I ended up becomin’  _ Hunk Garrett,  _ and it stuck.”

 

Eight months before he turns seven, his grandfather dies in a training accident. Ever since then, Tsuyoshi’s taken up using Hudson’s nickname:  _ Hunk. _

 

 

At seven, Hunk meets Lance McCLain, all vibrant eyes and bubbly voice. The two had played in one of the sandpits near their house until the sky changed from the soft blue of early mornings to pink, then purple to black. Their parents had become closer, but none would expect Hunk and Lance’s friendship to flourish the way it did.

 

 

At nine he first hears about the Galaxy Garrison, whispered words between his parents as they kiss Estela goodbye and wish her luck, his mom a whirlwind of papers, scarves thrown on hastily and rushed words said through soft smiles. 

Later that day, Hunk asks his tine and dad about it.

 

 

When Hunk is seventeen he’s lost in space, thousands of lightyears away from his parents, from one of the few places he can call home, a place that brings him away from the thoughts that hit him repeatedly, practically screaming to be heard until all Hunk can do is sit on his bed and shake. 

_ Shake and shake and shake  _ until he’s on the ground with his head between his legs, throat burning and eyes blurring with unshed tears, thoughts forcing their way to the surface, floating around him and encasing him in a bubble of black tar that leaves no room to leave. 

_ There’s no way to escape your own head,  _ Hunk thinks bitterly, swatting at the air as if he could get rid of the words that slam into him. 

As a paladin of Voltron, Hunk has to help uphold the peace; rescue lives endangered by a seemingly never-ending war against the Galra empire. He has to risk his life and watch helplessly as his friends are injured, as they go through their own grievances and struggles. He’s watched Allura stare at the remains of yet another destroyed planet, face ashen and lips trembling as she tried to control her emotions. He’s seen Pidge scream and cry, watched them break a computer they built themselves after a year’s search for Matt going to waste, after following a lead that made Pidge fight harder than they ever had before only to watch it crumble into pieces when Matt gets taken by something. 

He’s seen Keith angry, seen him yell and train himself into exhaustion until he’s nothing more than shaking legs and bleeding lips, eyes screwing shut to stop whatever is breaking him down from the inside stop.

He’s seen Lance shut down when the prisoners he was rescuing were all shot down in cold blood. Hunk only heard a scream, so full of pain it terrified him. He’d ran towards the noise, seeing Lance sitting in puddles of blood and bodies piled over one another, his sniper rifle in his hands, glowing as he blasts through the Galra sentries, nothing but babble pouring out of him as he continues to shoot the already destroyed robotic soldiers.

Hunk had taken him into his arms, lifting him up and away from the bodies that surrounded them. His friend latched on, quivering as Hunk rambles uselessly, words of - what he hoped were - support being said without him realising as he checks Lance for any injuries (there aren’t any physical ones, but who knows what damage happened to his mind.)

When they returned to the Castle, Lance hides away somewhere in the depths of it, and Hunk choses to lock himself in his room, away from the other Paladins as he finally feels the crushing defeat weigh in on him.

He cries, and sobs and yells into his room, not expecting an answer and not wanting one, but wanting anything to fill in the silence that made his thoughts louder, angrier, harsher. He tries to think back to a time when he was still on Earth, when his dad would run him through breathing exercises while hugging him and rubbing his back, talking about random nuisances in his day in different tones until Hunk could breath easily again, until he could feel his hands and legs and the awful sensation of pins-and-needles faded away, just a distant memory to his senses as his nods along to what his dad says, completely in a daze.

Hunk wishes he’s somewhere else, someone else, something else. Something not broken and battled and bruised, something less crushed and more thriving. 

Maybe someday, he thinks, someday that isn’t today.

  
  


 

When Hunk is twenty-six years old, he finally comes home.

He’s riddled with scars, each holding stories and secrets of their own as they often overlap on his skin. Eyes showing signs of utter exhaustion, a look that’s known a thousand wars often crosses his expression until one of his parents hugs him, tearfully telling him how much they love him and promise to protect him after all he’s done to save the universe. 

“Ou te alofa 'oe,” he whispers in the space between them all, lost in the comfort of their arms as he holds on tightly. “Ou te alofa 'oe.”

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked it asdffgh
> 
> yell at me @   
> [tumblr](http://amajikies.tumblr.com) or [twitter](http://twitter.com/mistakepng)
> 
> \- sleps


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